


The Hearing

by Corinna



Series: Family Values [3]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Ficlet, Gen, Washington D.C.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-17
Updated: 2014-03-17
Packaged: 2018-01-13 12:45:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1226815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corinna/pseuds/Corinna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His son’s ex-boyfriend’s mother was testifying before him in a classified Homeland Security subcommittee hearing. There was nothing straightforward about any of it.</p>
<p>Part of the <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/1148342">Family Values</a> AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hearing

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place a little before the main story in Family Values, but will make a lot more sense if you read that first!

Representative Burt Hummel (I-OH) was running late. He hated running late. And then, even better, icing on the cake, the Transportation Security subcommittee hearing was classified, so he wasn’t a hundred percent sure what he was actually late for. Reviewing classified documents could be a real pain in the ass, and he put it off. Usually he could catch up if he did that; today, with a constituent who’d needed help with the VA, he just hadn’t had time. He was junior enough that he figured he could mostly listen and look concerned.

When he got to the hearing room, his chief of staff thrust a folder at him: notes and questions, all prepped and ready to go, like he'd been cramming for this hearing for days. He was definitely not paying her enough.

“It’s that Missouri bridge thing last year,” she whispered. There’d been a close call involving a messed-up kid with delusions of jihad and a lot of C4. A small intelligence contractor had shut the whole thing down before it ever got anywhere, but that didn’t mean there didn’t have to be a hearing. Burt sighed and checked his watch. He wondered if Carole would be home by the time it was over.

The hearing room was familiar already, as were his colleagues. Being in Congress wasn’t all that different from running a small business: a lot of glad-handing and how-ya-doing chit-chat. He stopped for a few minutes with Sarah Taylor from Michigan, a little friendly football trash-talk, and he waved to Serena Anderson where she stood by the witness table.

Wait. _Serena Anderson?_ Blaine’s _mom_?

Burt blinked to make sure he’d seen what he knew he’d seen. He dropped his folder and his briefcase by his seat on the dais, and he walked over to the witness table. The silver-haired man standing behind Serena looked at him like he might be dangerous, but Serena herself still had the same polished smile he remembered.

“Burt. Or, should I say, Representative Hummel. It’s good to see you. My attorney, Marshall Coover.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Burt nodded. “Serena -- Mrs. Anderson -- what are you doing here?”

“Representative Hummel,” said the attorney, “I need to remind you that this is hearing is classified Top Secret, as is the identity of any and all witnesses.”

“Okay,” Burt said cautiously.

“Bradley and I are the principals of Westlake Consulting,” Serena said, as if that explained it. When Burt just frowned puzzledly, she prompted, “The contractors who worked with the FBI to resolve this situation?”

“The bridge bombing? That was you?”

“Westlake Consulting was in no way responsible for the attempted attack on our nation’s infrastructure,” the lawyer began.

“You know what I meant,” Burt snapped.

“It’s his job not to assume he knows what anyone meant,” Serena said, putting a conciliatory hand on Burt’s arm. “And yes, that was us. I’m afraid we aren’t exactly... forthcoming about how we make our livings. You understand.”

“I... Do I need to recuse myself from this hearing or something?”

Serena smiled. “I think we’re all right. This should all be pretty straightforward.”

His son’s ex-boyfriend’s mother was testifying before him in a classified Homeland Security subcommittee hearing. There was nothing straightforward about any of it. “Does Blaine know...?”

She winced, just a little. “No. We thought it best.... He’s had as normal a childhood as we knew how to give him.”

Burt thought about how much Blaine had liked being invited to Friday dinner when his parents were out of town. How eager he’d always been to be part of their family’s little rituals, like a tourist getting a taste of somewhere exotic. “He’s a fine young man,” Burt said. “If they work this out between them, you know, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“That would be nice,” she said. “I’m in town for another day taking meetings. Perhaps we can meet for a drink?”

“Sure,” Burt said. “Come by my office after you’re done tomorrow. There’s a nice, what’s it called, a wine bar a couple of blocks from here; Carole likes it.”

“I think I know the place you mean,” said Serena. “I’ll look forward to it.”

“All right.” The other representatives were almost all seated; some of them were watching the conversation interestedly. “Well, I guess, good luck today. And, you know, nothing personal with the questions.”

Serena smiled, and it was Blaine’s big-hearted grin, just for a moment. “Do your worst.”

 


End file.
